Blog Posts

Teachers Are Learners, Too: Rethinking Professional Growth

By Karly O'Brien

When I came across a post on social media for a conference titled The Art & Science of Teacher Coaching, I would be lying if I said I didn't immediately stop scrolling. We talk a lot about the Science of Reading (and the science of learning more broadly) when it comes to understanding how children develop the knowledge and skills they need to read and learn. But how often do we stop to consider how these same principles apply to adult learners, too? 

Think about a time in your life when you've had a coach. What was your relationship with that person like? How did that relationship influence your ability to learn, grow, and improve? If relationships are so important to our own growth, how are we intentionally cultivating them in the professional learning experiences we create for teachers? 

As teachers, we dedicate so much time to understanding how students learn, what motivates them, and how to create meaningful learning experiences. Yet the teachers supporting those students are learners themselves, with their own experiences, strengths, motivations, and opportunities for growth. Effective professional learning should reflect the same principles we value in effective classroom instruction. 

The Art & Science of Effective Coaching 

Effective coaches can connect, ground, engage, and advance (Fisher et al., 2026). 

Connect: Just as we do with students, we need to put relationships at the core. Before feedback can be impactful, teachers need to feel safe, respected, and supported in the relationship with their coach. This looks like understanding each teacher’s individual needs, strengths, and preferences, including how they want to be coached. Just as we differentiate instruction for students, we should be intentional about tailoring our coaching approaches to meet teachers where they are. 

Ground: When we hear that new research has been published, our first step should be to look for clear, accurate, and neutral data to ensure credibility and determine how the findings can inform our practice. We should take this same approach when coaching teachers, grounding our practices and decisions in evidence that supports meaningful professional growth. 

Engage: Too much “teacher talk” in a lesson with students is a real concern, and the same goes for coaching. The goal isn’t for the coach to do all the heavy lifting. Rather, it is to guide the teacher to reflect on their own practice, take ownership of their own learning, and identify their next steps for growth. 

Advance: Growing in our practice is only possible when coaches provide feedback that is specific, timely, and tied to goals. Just as we use intentional feedback loops with students to support their learning, coaches should provide teachers with actionable feedback that encourages reflection, builds confidence, and supports continued professional growth. 

Beyond One-and-Done Professional Learning 

We know that meaningful learning takes time, practice, feedback, and reflection. Yet professional development for teachers doesn't always reflect those same principles. We wouldn't expect students to master a new skill after one lesson. Why do we sometimes expect teachers to change their practice after one professional development session? 

Introducing a new strategy is only the beginning. Teachers need opportunities to practice, reflect, receive feedback, and refine their approaches. Professional learning should be viewed as a continuous process rather than an isolated event. 

Fisher et al. (2026) present three approaches to coaching:  

  1. Full Cycle Coaching: A comprehensive coaching process that allows for sustained support, observation, and reflection over time. This is your typical “formal” coaching cycle. 
  2. Goal-Driven Short Cycle Coaching: A more focused approach centered on a specific goal in mind, with targeted opportunities for growth. Once the goal is achieved, the teacher and coach can identify a new goal to work toward. 
  3. Micro-coaching: Brief, responsive coaching interactions that address an immediate question, need, or opportunity for growth. These often happen in casual, informal settings, such as a conversation in the hallway or on the way to specials. 

Not every teacher needs (or desires) the same type or intensity of coaching. Coaching should be responsive to the teacher's goals, experience, and instructional context. Sometimes meaningful growth comes from sustained collaboration; other times, a brief conversation or targeted feedback can make a difference. Effective professional learning requires flexibility, not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. 

What I'm Taking With Me 

I could write an entire book about everything I learned at this conference and still barely scratch the surface, but I'll leave that job to Drs. Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and colleagues.  

But if I had to choose just three takeaways, I'd bucket them like this: 

  1. Professional learning should be something teachers actively participate in, rather than something simply delivered to them. 

    Think back to the last professional learning session you attended. Were you actively engaged in the learning, or were you just simply taking in the information as someone shared it? Just as we know students benefit from active engagement, the same is true for adults. Meaningful professional learning should create opportunities for teachers to ask questions, collaborate with one another, and reflect on their own experiences. It’s not just about presenting information to teachers, but how we create opportunities for them to engage with it. 

  2. Some of the most meaningful opportunities for professional growth happen through small, intentional interactions. 

    I don’t know about you, but when I knew someone was coming into my classroom the next day to observe me, my stomach would be in knots all night long. When we think about instructional coaching, we typically picture formal observations, scheduled meetings, and lengthy conversations. While those structures certainly have their place, meaningful coaching doesn’t always require a formal structure. Informal coaching interactions can sometimes feel less intimidating, creating space for openness, honesty and reflection without the pressure that can come with a formal observation. Sometimes a quick conversation with a colleague or a few moments of reflection can lead to a shift in practice. The concept of micro-coaching demonstrated to me that supporting growth doesn't always require more time, but rather greater intentionality in how we utilize the time we have. 
     
  3. Even when we're not serving as formal instructional coaches, we can apply coaching principles to how we support teachers. 

    This takeaway particularly resonated with me in my role here at RIF, where much of my work focuses on developing resources and facilitating professional learning for teachers. While I may not be working directly with teachers through formal coaching cycles, the same principles of connecting, grounding, engaging, and advancing can inform how we design these experiences. Whether it's creating opportunities for reflection during a webinar, providing practical resources that help teachers apply new strategies, or seeking feedback to better understand needs, we can be intentional about making professional learning more responsive, collaborative, and actionable.  

Closing Reflection 

At the end of the day, teachers are learners, too. If we recognize the importance of relationships, engagement, differentiation, and feedback in our classrooms, shouldn't we be just as intentional about incorporating those same principles into the ways we support teachers? 

As I reflect on my experience at The Art & Science of Teacher Coaching Conference, I'm reminded that meaningful professional growth isn't always about having all the answers. Sometimes, it's about asking the right questions, creating opportunities for reflection, and empowering others to discover their own next steps.  

At Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), this is something I hope to continue bringing into the professional learning experiences and resources we create, ensuring that we're not just sharing research and strategies, but empowering teachers to meaningfully apply them in their own classrooms. 

So, I'll leave you with one final question: Are we creating the same kinds of learning experiences for our teachers that we hope they'll create for their students?